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"Rides & Attractions" Boardwalk Memories

The Carousel , 2010

My story starts in the late summer of 2010. It had been a couple months since I moved back to the Bay Area for a new job and new opportunity. After being away from all my College friends for a couple months I decided to invite them all to Santa Cruz for a day of surf lessons and a romp around the Boardwalk. Perhaps due to late notice only one friend was able to attend. This may have been for the better because it gave me the opportunity to really show him all the ins and outs of the Boardwalk that I had discovered over the years of growing up in the area.

To spare you a lengthy novel I'm going to go to one particular event. We spent all day riding rides but it was the Looff Carousel that i really wanted to get on. I explained to my friend (aka the Mouth) about the rings and the clowns mouth and how i have only drained it once in over 25 years of Board walking! But something felt special about this day. I knew I was going make the ring in the clowns mouth for a second time.

While standing in line i counted the number of horses that go by the rings before they start to fall so we could be in the best spot possible to get the most chances to throw. Finally it was our turn and like former versions of our younger selves we rushed to get the horses we wanted to ride on. As the carousel started to spin and the sweet melody from the organ started to play my stomach was filled with butterflies and excitement! As we circled around I did the veteran lean way over and do the two handed double grab for the rings. We went around the first time, I hucked a ring as fast as i could and missed miserably. I took a deep breath and really focused this time going around. I felt like I was in the zone as the carousel came wrapping around the next time. I was so focused it was as if the entire ride was slowing down to a crawl and setting me up for a successful throw. I pulled my arm back and let that next ring fly.... The ring hits the inner part of the silver circle wrapping and looping twice, I raised my hands in victory only to be premature as i watched the ring fly back out instead of fly back in.

In my disappointment I started to realize that the Carousel had actually came to a stop after only its second time around. What i had thought was my self being in a laser focus and slowing everything down was actually the staff shutting the ride down due to MY FRIEND AND I who had brought ice cream cones on the ride with us! Ugghhh the worst. They kicked us off the ride and I sadly did not make my second ring in the clowns mouth. My record still stands at 1 make over 43 times and counting riding the amazing Looff Carousel!